FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Topics such as land use, water resources, drainage regulations and farm emergency care will be included in some of the educational sessions at this year’s Fort Wayne Farm Show. The show is Jan. 14-16 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne.

The show’s seminar schedule will kick off as it has for years with the Midwest Ag Market Outlook. The session is 10 a.m. Jan. 14. The outlook features Jon Cavanaugh and David Kohli, both WOWO-AM market analysts. Also speaking during the session will be Ryan Martin, farm organization specialist with Louis Dreyfus Co., and Rob Winters, farm director at WOWO radio.

“Familiarity is critical,” explained Julie Davis Good, director of the Allen County, Ind., Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). “Once we feel comfortable with the folks who are presenting, then we can really learn and engage in the message. This group has built trust with the community over the years, and with their no-nonsense approach, we will be informed and entertained.”

The seminars are provided by the Northeast Indiana SWCDs. along with Purdue University Extension. Session organizers met in spring 2024 to evaluate past shows and to begin planning this year’s event, she said.

“From watching the planning process this year, new topics arise that producers need to hear about in real time,” Good pointed out. “So many experts are available in our part of the country, and we are blessed to have them participate. This year, I’m excited to see the line-up of sessions of cutting-edge and important topics: how to address ROI during changes in weather; how to prevent and/or address on-farm emergencies; how to find a career in ag to complement farming; how to use, conserve, protect and defend water in our region.

“The sessions in the Appleseed rooms are the place where farmers and experts who know information help others to understand that information. Sometimes we need what we learn this year. Other times we will use it in the distant future. But learning is the key – we are all learning all that time.”

The afternoon of the 14th features sessions on climate impacts on agriculture and a pesticide applicator program. PARP and CCH credits are available for the pesticide program.

A presentation on farm emergency care will be the morning of the 15th. Speakers will be Purdue University Extension personnel from DeKalb County, Ind.

Water will be the subject of a couple sessions that afternoon. One speaker will discuss water resources and another, drainage regulations.

“All agriculture is at the mercy of how our water is handled,” Good said. “In the past, water ‘rights’ have been important in western states, and now issues arise in the Midwest where the ability to have, retain, use and distribute clean water may come into question.

“To bring clarity to this murky situation, on Wednesday afternoon, we have the opportunity to hear from two experts in water from engaging perspectives. Jane Frankenberger (a Purdue professor in agricultural and biological engineering) will talk about the massive amounts of topsoil that we are losing. From a different angle, Wells County Surveyor Jarrod Hahn, will present a holistic view of why water drainage and regulation is key to the health of our land.”

These sessions, along with a seminar that morning led by Brianna Schroeder (Janzen Schroeder Ag Law) on hot topics in land use will enable producers to make valuable contributions to decisions by government as well as production, Good said.

Schroeder will speak during the Indiana Farm Bureau luncheon. Only 150 meals will be available for the luncheon, and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

For a schedule of the educational seminars, visit www.tradeexpos.com and click on Fort Wayne Farm Show.